This Christmas
by Vi2009
Summary: Love does exist and you will find it...even when you aren't looking for it. OC/OC, but attached to the Juliet/Peter/Mark story.
1. Chapter 1

While I have other stories in progress that need my attention, I've had a rough couple of months with a death in my family and needed something light and not so dramatic to get my mind off of things. The solution? A fic for one of my favorite movies, Love Actually. The main characters are all OC, but the story is an attachment to Juliet, Peter and Mark's and I suppose some others could drop in at some point too. Enjoy!

Chapter One

 _Five weeks to Christmas_

The wedding had been beautiful. Every second of chaos, stress and moments of absolute terror that Ellie had felt as maid of honor along with Juliet in the weeks leading up to the big day seemed to have magically solved themselves and cultivated into the perfect day the bride had envisioned. Her best friend radiated happiness right now, Ellie thought as she sat at the table in the reception hall. She was the most beautiful woman in the room, just as she ought to be. Peter played the part of the besotted groom well and their love and bliss seemed to create a magnetic atmosphere around them, pulling their friends and family into the fold. Ellie watched as they danced and smiled as the DJ began to play that NSYNC song they used to drunkenly sing and dance to at the pub during their years at university. John had hated that song, the sudden dark thought intruded. It had driven him mad whenever they got up on stage and took over the karaoke machine to sing it…

Feeling the happiness of the moment suddenly leave her, Ellie's gaze fell to her glass of champagne. She swallowed a lump of sadness and tapped a finger against the sparkling stem, watching the bubbles within catch in the low lights of the room.

"Yeah I get sad when I hear this song too." A voice suddenly said above her.

Looking up, suddenly pulled from her sad thoughts, Ellie came face to face with a chiseled handsome face that nearly knocked her back from her seat. "Sorry?"

"This song." He indicated with a slight extension of his hand that held his own drink. "Just reminds me that Justin has gone solo. The pain is too fresh, Timberlake. Too fresh." His American accent was low, but humorous.

Despite herself, Ellie laughed lightly at the ridiculous comment. The stranger took that as an invitation to sit down beside her. "You're the maid of honor, right?" he smiled and she watched his handsome face light up with various dimples.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm Ellie."

"Luke." He reached a hand over the table offering his hand and she took it without hesitation. His hand was soft and firm around hers and she felt her body suddenly flush from head to toe over the touch. "So," he continued, unaware it seemed of what she had felt, "Are you a maid of honor for hire or are you a friend of the bride?"

Ellie felt her smile retain. "A friend. Best friend actually, for over fifteen years now."

"That's impressive."

"And you're a friend of Peter's?" she asked the question already knowing the answer. He couldn't have been a friend of Juliet's. After fifteen years she knew nearly everyone that Juliet did and she certainly would have remembered a face like his.

"Yeah we met a few years back, about the time I moved here from the states. He was one of the first people that gave me the time of day actually and I mean that literally. That cross over the ocean really messes with your sense of time." At this quip he winked a smile in her direction.

Ellie laughed out loud and had to take a sip from her champagne glass to calm her nerves. Around them the music changed, the DJ opting for a more classic option in Earth Wind and Fire's "September", not exactly a wedding song, but danceable none the less.

"So did you have anything to do with the musical number at the end of the ceremony?"

"Oh that? No, I'm afraid that was all the best man, Mark."

The "All you Need is Love" number was both well done and memorable. Neither Peter nor Juliet had expected the display and though Ellie had a miner idea of what Mark was doing, she did not expect what he had given them. "He's always the one to count on for surprises. Do you know him?"

Luke looked over, taking notice of the best man who sat at a table by himself, video camera in hand filming the happy couple as they danced. "Nah, but I give him props for his dedication to his position." He took a drink from his glass. "Are you by yourself?" he then asked.

Almost ashamed, Ellie nodded. "Yeah."

"Same." He answered without missing a beat, immediately comforting her insecurity. "So how about some small talk to keep us occupied?"

He was oddly confident and very personable. Ellie could feel herself ease in the stranger's presence, forgetting the thoughts that had plagued her just a short while ago. "All right. What would you like to talk about?"

"What do you do?"

"As in work? I'm a dance instructor."

"Oh yeah?" his eyebrows seemed to life in amusement. "What kind of dance do you teach?"

Ellie lifted her shoulders. "All kinds." A twinge of discomfort shot through her again. Men didn't pay this kind of attention to her, or at least she didn't allow them to. She kept herself out of situations where it was even a remotely possible and now that someone was, someone she considered very far out of her league, it was odd and foreign. He was simply gorgeous and she guessed that he knew it. Blue eyes, chiseled jaw, muscles that were clearly visible through the cut of his suit. It was all terribly out of place for her. She needed nerve to get through this small talk. With an unsteady hand she reached for her champagne and took a large, stinging sip. "And what do you do?" she asked.

"I'm a football player."

"American football?"

"No, European. American soccer." He laughed at their conversation misstep. "I was trying to sound clever for you. "

"Oh." Ellie was shocked by the answer. "Wow, I'm sitting next to a sports star then?"

"I'm not quite there yet, but yeah maybe someday you can brag to your friends you had a drink with me."

"Do you play for a team?"

"Tottenham, right here in London."

"You don't see a lot of American players on football teams over here." She took another drink, her glass rapidly becoming empty. She could feel her cheeks grow warm as she took in more of the liquid. She did not drink often, her life did not allow for it so when she did it only took small doses to affect her.

"Yeah," he relaxed in his chair, his fingers lingering on his own glass, "I played all through high school and college, but the sport just isn't as big over there as it is here. I was glad to be recruited to tell you the truth. Love living over here. Pink Floyd is like my favorite band and Monty Python…well, how could I pass it up?"

"There's a bit more to Britain than that." Ellie smiled.

"Oh yeah, the women are gorgeous too." His eyes lingered on her as he spoke, kindling something within her she couldn't describe. He was flirting with her. Openly, publically, flirting with her. It had been so long since she had been in this kind of situation, Ellie found herself struggling with an inner panic. From out of nowhere one of the waiters appeared at the table with a tray of fresh drinks and she found herself quickly accepting one from him. She managed only a half second smile in Luke's direction before turning away embarrassed and downed half of the champagne in a single drought.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you." He acknowledged that he had seen the entire display for what it was. His handsome face was still smiling and with the warmth of the champagne spreading without her, Ellie felt comfortable enough to turn back to him.

"You didn't…well, that's a lie," she struggled with the words and push an errant curl back into her expensive up do. "...but Thank you." And then she took another drink, just as large as the one before, draining the glass for a second time.

He leaned in closer, heating the air between them. "Would you like to dance?"

"Dance?" her head was swimming now, but whether it was from the alcohol or the attention he was giving her, she wasn't sure.

He laughed, "Yeah. You being the dance instructor, maybe you could teach me a few things."

Desperate, Ellie looked at her empty champagne glass and then quickly around the room. Couples were now swaying slowly against one another to a song she only half recognized. Juliet and Peter were off in their own world in the center and her other friends, bloody hell she couldn't even make out a face in her panic. There was no way she was getting out of this, at least not without embarrassing herself and causing a scene. Gulping, she turned back to the Adonis in front of her and forced herself to push the words out. "All right."

Her first thought as they joined the others on the dance floor was that she fit too well in his arms. His hand at her waist burned and hers on his shoulder sent her heart beating fast and hard within her. She was sure she was shaking with every stem they drifted through, but the way he smiled down at her said otherwise. "Don't let me step on your toes." He joked as they swayed with simplicity.

"I won't." her voice cracked, but she found herself able to smile back at him.

The danced for a long torturous while. The more time that passed though, Ellie felt herself begin to relax in his presence. He made small jokes, a smiled and winked at her, making sure his attention was on no one else in the room but her.

His hand fanned out against her back and with a choke of breath, she felt his fingertips begin to caress her through her dress. She should have pulled away then, but for whatever reason it drew her closer to him, close enough to feel his warm breath against her neck. It was enough to heat her blood and make the long dormant feel of desire begin to run through her body. She looked back up at him, her eyes focusing on his. The song changed, but their dance kept on and their gazes stayed locked. His fingers continued their own small dance against her back and he leaned in closer to whisper a breath against her skin. "You're driving me crazy."

"Am I?" her voice was low and dripped with its own desire.

"I get the feeling you know exactly what you're doing too."

The words made her smile to herself, but she said nothing in reply. Instead she shifted her position and allowed herself to lay her chin on his shoulder. His scent engulfed her. A mixture of Ralph Lauren cologne, shaving cream and soap. It was clean and satisfying and oh so pleasing to her senses. Maybe this was okay, she thought to herself. A dance or two couldn't hurt anything. He didn't know her, she didn't know him and the odds that they would ever meet up again after leaving tonight would nearly nonexistent. Yes, she said to herself, pressing closer to him, this was okay.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Luke had always been an early riser. Practices and runs demanded by his soccer coaches over the years had cultivated an internal alarm clock that got him up promptly before the sun every morning, but that morning was different. The sunlight, strong for an English winter was forcing its way between the gaps of his blinds when he finally opened his eyes. He stretched and yawned, taking a quick glance at the clock before he put the focus on his bed mate. Ellie was still fast asleep, her light brown hair spilling in all directions over his feather pillow. She was turned away from him, but the view of her naked form beneath the blanket was still a sight to behold. He moved towards her, closing the distance between them and putting an arm around her. In her sleep, she relaxed against him. She felt good, smelled good…and last night had been incredible.

He hadn't gone to Peter's wedding looking for some girl to bring home, in fact he had pretty much thought the night was going to pretty boring because he would be alone, but then he had seen her during the ceremony and then again at the reception and well hell, he had to meet her. It took him most of the night to work up the courage though and to find a moment when she wasn't acting like the world best god damned maid of honor. Towards the end of the night he finally found the chance though and with a few glasses of jack and coke behind him, made his way over to her. His opening line about Justin Timberlake was probably the worst in history, but it had made her smiling this amazing 1000 mega-wat smile at him so he guessed it couldn't have been all bad. Then there was the jolt of energy she had given him, the skipped beat of his heart…

Bringing her home though, that hadn't been the plan at all. Hell it was hard to even remember how they had gotten back here. They had talked, drank a bit, danced and then…he half remembered getting a cab and making out in the back seat of it, but that was it until they had come through the front door. He remembered everything after that very well.

Suddenly flooded with the erotic memories of the night before, he wanted her again. He kissed the hollow of her neck, letting his lips heat the bare skin beneath. She moaned in response, but did not wake. He used his left hand to move down her sides and back up again, and then to her front, more pressure in his lips now as he kissed her neck. She began to shift then, pushing herself closer against him and his almost painful arousal. He palmed every curve and peak on her body with an increased frenzy and nudged her onto her back. He was just moving over her when her eyes flew open and her body went rigid underneath his. The move threw him, but he tried to keep the mood going and smiled down at her. "Morning, gorgeous."

"Morning?" she held onto her confusion and then looked at the windows beyond him. "It's morning. Oh my God, it's morning."

The words pushed Luke back to his side of the bed. She scrambled to a sitting position once she was free, clutching the blankets around her naked body. She then looked around the room with wide, disoriented eyes, everything about her screaming regret.

"Ellie?"

She didn't answer, but her face fell into the palms of her hands as if she was going to start crying on him.

Damn it, maybe she had been more wasted than he thought last night.

Carefully as if he were trying to calm a skittish animal he put a hand on her arm. "Ellie, you remember last night don't you?"

Hearing her name must have brought her some kind of clarity, because she suddenly looked up her dark blue eyes sparkled with acknowledgment. "Yeah, yes." She swallowed. "Of course I remember; I was just…it's late. What time is it?"

Luke turned and reached for his Movodo watch on the nightstand. "Eight thirty."

Her eyes squinted in frustration and to his surprise, still wrapped in the blanket she stood, ripping it from the bed. "I need to leave." She began to grab at the various articles of her clothing that had been thrown around the room the night before. Her wrinkled maid of honor dress, the white lace panties and the bra to match. He had personally removed both with his teeth, but he didn't think now was the time to point that out.

While she was doing that, his desire for her had completely died and he realized his best bet was putting some clothes too. He grabbed a pair of sweats he had slung over a chair the day before and a clean t-shirt from the top of the dresser.

"Do you have a bathroom?" she asked the ridiculous question while attempting to hold her gown, underwear, shoes and ensure her makeshift cover-up stayed in place.

"Yeah, right there," he pointed behind her.

Silently she turned and made for the room, shutting the door firmly behind her. When she came out a minute later she was wearing the wrinkled dress and walking unsteady on the heels. The blanket was flung over an arm and he watched as she set it back down on the bed. For a moment they were both silent. She stared at him, or rather did her best not to stare at him and Luke felt his spirits sink lower. He had had fun the night before, but it was clear now that she hadn't.

"Look Ellie, I'm sorry if—"

She pursed her perfectly formed lips and shook her head. "You don't have to say anything. It was a mistake."

"Well I wouldn't say that." Damn it, he didn't think there was anything mistakable about it. "Look can I get you some coffee or tea or something." He had to prove to her he wasn't a complete piece of shit because that's what she was clearly thinking.

"No, I can't. I really do need to leave."

"I'll call a cab for you then."

"I can manage on my own."

His flat was a studio and finding the front door was easy enough for her, but she hesitated once she got to it and turned back to him. "I'm sorry. I'm…"she didn't finish the sentence and quite frankly Luke didn't want her to.

"I'd love to see you again." He cut in.

Her gaze snapped to him surprised. "You…would?"

Luke had to hold back a laugh. "Yeah, of course. Apart from the amazing sex last night, I did have a good time with you."

He felt rather proud of himself when her cheeks reddened at his words, but then regretted them as she looked away and seemed to refocus on her desire to escape the apartment and his presence. "I don't think that would be a good idea." She said in a quiet tone, "It was nice to…meet you though." She moved for the door handle, her hand extended, but in a last ditch effort Luke put his hand over hers.

"Can I at least give you my number?"

The request made her stop and, filled with renewed enthusiasm, he grabbed a pad and pen from the entry way table and quickly scribbled down the digits. He handed it to her, transferring the sticky end of the post it to her soft finger-tip. She looked down at it and then back at him, her face now unreadable.

"It's my mobile, so I'll usually pick up." He assured her with one of his winning smiles.

She nodded and opened the door without interruption. She didn't say good-bye as she slipped out into the hallway, or even before the door closed behind her. Luke leaned against it after, feeling a mixture of guilt and confusion over the whole situation. He hadn't been that drunk last night, he was sure of it and neither had she. The first few minutes after their initial meeting had been awkward, but she had seemed to warm up towards him as the night went on. What had changed between now and then? He was a good enough looking guy. No Brad Pitt or even a David Beckham, but plenty of women had told him over the years he wasn't ugly and judging by that math alone he couldn't disagree with them. And if no one had been saying the same to Ellie, they had been wrong. The girl was a knock out. Her hair had reminded him of honey and smelled just as sweet. Those eyes too, dark blue pools that had downright sparkled when she had laughed last night and her body…he had to suppress a moan as he thought about that tall and lithe frame in his arms and then under his own. She had said something being a dancer hadn't she? Yeah, he could see it. Even the way she walked had a certain grace about it.

He definitely wanted to see her again. Hopefully she came to the same conclusion soon and utilized the phone number he had given her.

* * *

"Mum." Ellie pulled the key from the door and stepped into her flat. Kicking off the heels that had been paining her since she had put her feet in them a half hour before, she pushed the front door shut and shed her coat. She caught the scent of breakfast from the kitchen and followed the aroma through the hall and poked her head through the doorway. Her mother was just pulling a pan off the stove and startled when she saw her daughter.

"Ellie, when did you get in?"

"Just now."

"I wasn't expecting you to be out all night."

Attempting to hide her embarrassment Ellie padded to the kettle and began to pour herself a cup of tea. "Yeah, sorry about that. It wasn't planned."

Ginny Atkinson assessed her daughter, noting that she still wore her bridesmaids dress, the state of it and the tone in Ellie's voice that clearly said she wasn't telling the whole story. She had known her all her life, she knew when something was amiss and Ellie knew there was no fooling her, so why did she bother with the act? "Eleanor." Was all she said.

Ellie sighed, knowing her guilt was evident. "Please mum, don't. I really don't want to talk about it." She took a sip of the strong brew and closed her eyes. How could she have been so reckless, she thought. She prided herself on her responsibility, her common sense, her…prudish nature. It was what she wanted. It kept her safe. It kept Sophie safe.

Ginny could take a hint, but that did not mean she would forget. "How was the wedding?"

Thankful for the new topic, Ellie finally turned back to her mother and smiled. "It was beautiful. Juliet was gorgeous, the ceremony was perfect and the reception..." she hesitated, thinking of Luke's smile suddenly, the way he had held her on the dance floor…"well it was nice too."

"Then I'd call it a success." Her mother smiled and went to the cupboard, pulling a Dora the Explorer tumbler and plate out. She began to fill it with eggs and toast and went to the fridge to fill the cup with milk. "We had a quiet night here. Quite uneventful."

"I'm glad to hear it." Ellie took another sip from her cup, and had just swallowed the hot liquid when an energy filled whirlwind burst into the room, blond curls mussed from sleep, clutching her Minnie Mouse doll in a small chubby grasp. "Mummy!" She ran and jumped into Ellie's arms, covering her with kisses and questions. "Where did you go?"

"Sweetheart, remember, I went to Aunt Juliet and Uncle Peter's wedding? I told you all about it yesterday at breakfast. Mummy had to be there to hold the flowers."

Sophie grinned when she heard this. "Oh yes and then there was a ball."

The easiest way to explain what a reception was to her 3 year old was to compare it to Cinderella's ball and Ellie had done just that. "Yes, that's right."

"Did you meet a prince?" she then asked with a giggle.

"What an excellent question, Sophie." Ginny spoke up, leaning against the counter with a knowing look on her face. " _Did_ you meet a prince, Ellie?"

Ellie pulled her eyes from her daughter to glare at her mother. Her mother did not cower, of course she didn't, instead she shot back her all knowing glance that any ruler of any country in the world would pay money to have. Ellie turned back to her daughter, "Sophie, darling, don't you think Granny should go home and make poor Papa his breakfast?" Ellie fired the second shot in the silent battle with victorious accuracy.

Her mother sighed and shook her head. "Sophie, I give you permission to give your mother ten times more grief than she has ever given me. She wholly deserves it."

Sophie of course didn't understand, but she smiled anyway, her sunny disposition shining through. Ellie then picked her up so she could kiss her grandmother good-bye. Ginny turned to Ellie after and sighed with a smile. "Good-bye darling."

"Good-bye mum." She replied.

On her way out, Ginny gathered her Burberry suitcase from the guestroom and then stopped to put on her jacket at the front door, it was then that she noticed a small scrap of neon yellow paper on the floor. The post it had been hastily folded in half, the back sticking to the front, but what had been written on it was still quite visible. The name "Luke" and a phone number hastily written below it.

Ginny looked back towards the kitchen where she could hear the sounds of her granddaughter and daughter still. Gone all night, coming home in the same clothes she had worn to the wedding and now a phone number that had clearly fallen out of pocket, she saw the obvious immediately. She had suspected the reason behind her daughters early morning entrance before, but here was the proof. Ginny wasn't shocked or even disappointed. She had practically led the women's liberation movement in London during the seventies, or so she liked to tell anyone who would listen, but it was the fact that Ellie had finally made a move to break free of the prison she had sealed herself into was what truly mattered. The fact that this young man had cared enough to give her his number too was also a good sign.

With a wry smile, Ginny took the post it and tacked it to the crafty little cork board that Ellie hung by the door for last minute reminders, making sure to unfold it and smooth out the paper neatly before doing so.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

A few days later, long after she had put Sophie to bed for the night, Ellie sat at her desk in the living room, the computer screen illuminating the dark room in front of her. She stared at it the opened web screen, with her chin resting on her upturned palm and then back down at the desk where the post it with Luke's number sat, pulled angrily from the cork board by the door. Her face had burned with embarrassment when she had first noticed it because it was more than obvious it was her mother that had put it there. It was one thing knowing that she had done something so immature and stupid, but the fact that her mother now knew made her nauseous. She wished she could magically snap her finger, making the whole thing go away or at the very least wipe it from her memory, but that was one thing she couldn't do. The memories of it seemed to invade her thoughts at all times of the day, when she was at work, cooking dinner and worse at night when the flat was dark and quiet. Thoughts of the way he had kissed her, touched her and the things he had done that still made her body quiver in delight… it all plagued her.

She looked down at the post it again and then poised her fingers over the keyboard, in a few quick strokes she typed his name into the search bar and pressed enter. Almost immediately the results appeared on the screen. Links to several football pages were first, news articles about his performance at matches and the scores he had made, then there was another, buried at the very bottom. It was an article from one of those celebrity news sites title dated from September. With a lump in her throat Ellie clicked on the link.

 _Model Katia Barkov and Footballer Boyfriend Call it Quits_

 _Katia Barkov and her boyfriend Luke Donovan of the Spurs have broken up. Barkov, 23 and Donovan, 25 were together a year and cite both of their busy schedules as the reason for the break up. A source reportedly told CN that the parting was amicable. "They're both very busy people and have been apart for long periods of time due to their schedules. They're on good terms and remain friends."_

There was more written, but Ellie didn't care to read it. Her eyes drifted to a picture of the couple taken by some paparazzi at a polo match over the summer. Luke's broad smile made his face completely recognizable beneath his baseball cap and sunglasses. His hands were brought together in mid-clap, but his then girlfriend was on her phone and clearly not paying attention to what was going on in front of her. She looked bored and annoyed, but she was gorgeous in her tweed Chanel jacket, tight jeans and bleached blond hair in perfect curls. It was a stark contrast to the what Ellie was wearing now; a black dance leotard and grey sweatpants with her hair pulled back in a messy bun. She had yet to change since coming home from work and then aside from the wedding, she couldn't remember a day when she had actually put effort into her hair. She was a single parent and had two lines of thought, parenting her daughter and working. That was it.

How on earth could this guy go from a perfectly polished Russian model to a frumpy and sleep deprived mother of one? He had told her over and over again that night how gorgeous she was; whispering it against her lips between kisses, and seductively as he run his hands over the entire expanse of her naked body. She had believed him, but now she realized how foolish and drunk they had both been. She didn't know what he had been thinking in trying to stop her from leaving that morning or even giving her his number. Clearly he just crazy. She was not comparable to this Katia person and Luke must have drank a lot not to realize that. She blamed drinking for her poor decision making too…that and the fact that Luke was the first guy she had let get near her since before Sophie was born.

 _Four years._

Four long years it had been now. Sometimes the nightmares made it seem like it had been mere days since she had been rid of John though. He had left when she had told him she was pregnant and she hadn't seen or heard from him, save for the surrender of his rights towards his daughter, since. It was better that way, she knew that, but it didn't make those terrible memories hurt any less or the effects of what he had done to her go away. Sudden loud noises still made her shake, her body still throbbed in pain at times in those places he had hit her…

She sat back in the chair and wiped away the tears that came on. The anxiety was coming over her fast and she turned away from the computer and turned on the nearby lamp and picked up the phone, only remembering as she put her finger down to dial that Juliet was still on her honeymoon and not at home. Her friend had encouraged Ellie to call her day or night whenever she had needed to talk and Ellie usually had, but she wouldn't now. She had the number to the hotel in Rome that they were at, but still she wouldn't do that now. She put the phone down and allowed herself to weep. That was what Juliet would tell her to do, cry. "You're not going to let him win, Love. He is the scum of the earth and you are a queen. Cry and throw it all to the wind."

"Right." Ellie said to the dark room. She wiped her eyes with the tips of her fingers. "Right." She was better off alone and this only proved it. Alone she didn't have to think about those awful years with John, she focused solely on Sophie and herself and really, why would any man want her with her past? She turned back to the desk and moved the mouse to close out the internet browser window and then grabbed the post it and ripped it in two before throwing it in the bin.


End file.
